Nietzsche’s Conception of Morality as a Disguise for a Will to Power
The concept of will to power assumes that the primary desire of an individual is to impose their will on the other people (Nietzsche 1018). Morality may work according to the same framework as one’s morality serves as their way of dictating to others which behaviors and actions are within the range of appropriate or acceptable activities and which should be excluded because they do not match the expectations of the will perceived as the expert set of beliefs. Besides, all the actions of any individuals are conducted with a particular selfish agenda, and no actions are altruistic.
How is traditional morality understood through the images of a cage or a safe island surrounded by a chaotic sea?
Morality can be compared to a cage that limits the natural passions and desires of human beings. Nietzsche compares morality to a cage into which a wild animal returns after being clever enough to break free (188). The author maintains that morality is a set of artificial limits that an individual builds on their own. That way, morality norms are perceived as the source of order and safety that Nietzsche likens to a safe island surrounded by a chaotic sea – a place where the individuals feel more secure due to the created illusion of control over the social situation and behaviors that assumes its predictability. In other words, a predictable environment is perceived as safer than a chaotic one.
How are acts of moral judgment a form of self-deception?
Self-deception is the nature of moral judgments because relying on a set of rules that is universal for everyone, regardless of how limiting, presupposes the control over the people’s actions and the security of the individuals from one another. That way, the basis of moral is nothing but the self-interest of each and every one of those who create and follow these norms (Nietzsche 188). Moreover, Nietzsche describes morality as dishonesty and mentions that all it does is cages the individuals within its stiff limits and prevents them from becoming unique (189).
What is meant by the “death of God” and the churches being sepulchers?
The death of God is Nietzsche’s way of emphasizing the selfishness of the human population and their refusal to see anything apart from their own individual good. Churches are compared to the sepulchers of God because they are the main facilitators of the sets of norms that people have come to treat as their primary conditions of existence (Nietzsche 187). As a result, the people’s inability to see or hear anything that is different from what they were taught to perceive to the norms of “right” is their way to murder God without even realizing it.
Remedy: Explain Nietzsche’s conception of nobility
Nietzsche argues against the commonly accepted idea of nobility as some kind of natural divisions between the simple people of poor classes and those of the aristocratic background. According to the author, both classes of people have the same barbaric background and come from the wilderness; the only difference between the richer and the poorer classes is that the former were more aggressive than the latter in their pursuit of wealth and power.
What is the pathos of distance, and why is it important for the question of life and value?
The pathos of distance is the difference between the two classes (the rich and the poor) (Nietzsche 1017). The emphasis of this difference is what has been separating them ever since the beginning of time. The division creates a hierarchy necessary for humanity to be able to dwell on their perception of order in the world and an illusory goal of any human being to climb up the social ladder and gain more power, wealth, and influence. This behavioral pattern is maintained as a key to an orderly life that provides every individual with a purpose. The imprint of such hierarchy can be observed in the structure of every object or happening; that way, viewing the world around through the perspective of the hierarchy is a part of human nature.
What is meant by the good/bad distinction, on the one hand, and the good/evil distinction, on the other? How did those distinctions arise, and what are their roles in the goals respective of masters and of slaves? How masters and slaves understand concepts such as happiness, prudence, enemy, love, and good?
According to Nietzsche, the perception of the concepts of good/bad and good/evil differ quite a lot for the rich and the poor classes. First of all, Nietzsche points out that the behaviors typical for the evil individuals by the poor (such as the association with fear) are viewed as that of the good individuals by the rich. The same tendency goes for good and bad qualities. Since the duties and roles of the rich and the poor are different, their views on what is good/evil, and good/bad are almost the opposite. The concepts of happiness, prudence, enemy, love, and good are also perceived differently based on the classes of the individuals as their social roles determine which traits are associated with them.
Explain the “first principle” of Nietzsche’s new morality (his “humanism”), and why Christianity is the arch-enemy
Nietzsche’s humanism is based on a belief that the weak and those who fail should not continue living. Also, the weak should not be provided with help. As a result, Christianity that is based on the humility towards the weak is seen as the source of weakness that depressed the vitality of mankind.
MacIntyre’s Diagnosis of Modern Moral Discourse and His Remedy
Diagnosis: modern moral discourse is in a state of disarray beyond repair
How MacIntyre’s science fiction illustration and the story about the Polynesian idea of ‘taboo’ illustrates the modern moral condition? What are the three characteristics of current moral discourse, and why is modern moral discourse like this?
The story about a Polynesian people that easily abandoned their old-fashioned taboos indicates their needlessness and subjectivity, which are comparable to the modern ideas of moral norms. The three qualities of the moral discourse are the collective decision making, the prolonged practice, and the engagement of diversity.
In what way does Western culture embody the moral philosophy of emotivism? How were the seeds of emotivism sown by the centrality of rules and the rise of the autonomous moral agent in modern moral thought?
Emotivism relies on an individual’s treatment of one as an end and lets them evaluate the moral basis for actions. The positioning of one as a moral agent is central in the Western philosophy, hence its relation to emotivism.
How does the rise of the autonomous moral agent and the rise of the authoritative social expert imply the correctness of Nietzsche’s criticism of modern morality?
The rise of autonomous moral agents supports Nietzsche’s idea that moral is highly subjective and is basically an imposition of one’s individual perceptions on the others or the will to power.
Remedy: A reintroduction of virtue as understood within practices, narratives, and traditions
What is the nature of practice, the difference between internal and external goods, and how practices provide and impose standards of excellence?
The nature of practice is to serve as the basis for the manifestations of virtues. The exact types of practice and its process defines the kinds of virtue and the standards of excellence.
What is the objection that some practices can be evil or incompatible with the goods of other practices, and how the idea of a narrative provides an answer?
Practices are divided into good and evil; however, the practices that are completely evil are not considered as existing. Instead, the narrative of each practice (its context) is seen as what defines whether a practice should be considered good or evil. For instance, a good practice may result in damage, and an evil practice may be viewed as one’s will to excel.
How is a moral agent’s a co-author in a narrative quest and how a narrative provides unity, moral particularity and intelligibility to an agent’s actions?
A moral agent judges the practices from their individual perspective which is shaped by a multitude of different factors. As a result, the perceptions of the same action or an event by different individuals way be exactly opposite. The perspectives of the moral agents, as well as their reactions, add to the way an event is viewed by the others (MacIntyre 93). That way, the moral agents who react are seen as co-authors in a narrative.
What is a social tradition for MacIntyre and how a no narrative can exist or be understood apart from social traditions?
Social traditions are a relationship between people’s behaviors and perspectives in terms of the perception of virtues as a part of life (certain actions are seen only within social constructs based on virtues; for instance, bravery is associated with being a soldier). Narrative become undefined when an event happens before anyone reacts to it or their reaction makes an impact. The reaction may be different in various periods, and thus, the narrative becomes undefined.
Why and in what way MactIntyre’s Aristotelian account is supposed to be a superior answer to the modern moral chaos over Nietzsche’s answer
The modern moral chaos is seen as a set of norms and rules remaining as the parts the older traditions (considering the perspective of Aristotle) (MacIntyre 95). However, Nietzsche’s idea of the selfish man presupposes an ongoing process of the formation of moral judgments by the modern individuals who impose them on one another.
Reflection
Speaking about lessons he wanted to share with me, my interviewee said, “Be aware of other people. Look at where they are going and make sure you do not impede them. Look at what they want and, if it is right for them to want it, help them to get it. Develop a reputation as a good person, gain their admiration, and people will always try to help you. Life is not something you can live alone. We all need others to help us sometimes.”
In my opinion, the wisdom of my Great Uncle’s words is quite obvious. However, its deeper comprehension is complicated by the fact that his perception of the meaning of different parts of the statement is rather individual. For instance, he says, “if it is right for them to want it, help them to get it”, I believe, the reasons for wanting something are highly unique for each person and thus, the moral judgment may differ depending on a perspective.
MacIntyre’s diagnosis that we are using evaluative terms and ideas that have no stable shared meaning accurately characterizes this particular example as my interviewee’s advice is wise and valuable; however, it may be easily misinterpreted.
Works Cited
MacIntyre, Alasdair. After Virtue.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Beyond Good and Evil.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science.